tbr

After a pretty good reading month, I can feel myself slipping into a bit of a slump so my February TBR is a little lighter on books – I’m currently flip-flopping on books literally every day so my wrap up might not match this! That being said, there are SO MANY good books coming out this month that I cannot wait for, fingers crossed my slump comes to an end.

So, let’s jump into this.

A quick heads up for you, there are affiliate links within this post that, should you purchase anything through them, I will earn a commission. This is at no extra charge to you.

Yep yep yep. I am caught from the very first line in the book and it is time for my love of V. E. Schwab to get even deeper. Travelling through different versions of London (the red one, white one, grey one and black one), Kell is a magician who delivers messages between the different London’s – until he delivers a package he knew he shouldn’t.

I think I might end up reading more of Schwab this month if this book catches me as I think it might!

Historian Jon Keller is in Switzerland when the bombs go off. So remote is the hotel, Jon and the rest of the hotel’s residents survive and have to come to terms with potentially being the last people alive.

Then they find the dead little girl and realise that there may be a murderer within the survivors.

I’ve read a few chapters of this book already and it is brilliant! The writing is fantastic, the detail is exquisite and you really get a feeling of isolationism (not sure if that’s a word).

I’m less than 100 pages in, but this book is shaping up to be a book of the month contender. I absolutely love the two characters you are first introduced to and the style of the prose is absolutely fabulous.

I was lucky enough to receive an excerpt of Priory via NetGalley and it is incredible. Similar to The Ruin of Kings, it has such a rich, creative world and is beautifully constructed.

The Priory of the Orange Tree comes out at the end of the month and I cannot wait!

And there you have it – my short and sweet February TBR! I’ve already been jumping from book to book so don’t expect my wrap up to look anything like this. Keep your fingers crossed my reading slump ends soon!

I’ve got to be tactical with my TBR’s this year as, for some crazy idea, I’ve set my GoodReads Challenge for 100 books! I’m feeling the regret but considering the amazing books coming out this year I’m slightly hopeful I can at least get close! So, my January TBR looks a little something like this.

A quick heads up for you, there are affiliate links within this post that, should you purchase anything through them, I will earn commission. This is at no extra charge to you. I also received some of these books for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Damn. Those two sentences make this sound epic, right? I’m about a quarter of the way through so far and this is pretty good!

One of the kids in detention runs an anonymous website (xoxo Gossip Girl-style). He dies – not a spoiler, it’s on the back copy! – and each of the main characters are put in the frame after being mentioned in the next update that was being released the following day.

It’s shaping up to be a pretty good whodunnit novel. I currently have NO IDEA who it could be and it’s really annoying me (in a good way!). The characters are fun and whilst it could’ve been tempting for the author to really write this for a younger audience, I’m finding that their issues are really reflective of issues that I recognise having gone through as a teenager – really impressive!

Edmund is heir to the throne of Thalassa and a wielder of Water magic. Devoted to his kingdom and his duty to it, Edmund can do nothing but acquiesce to an arranged marriage with the queen of a neighboring kingdom. The marriage and the child it is required to produce will seal an alliance between Thalassa and Aither that is vital to Thalassa’s safety, and far more important than Edmund’s personal misgivings.

This is also shaping up to be a pretty solid fantasy. I’m 9% through this one and, so far, I love it. If you’re a fan of Sarah J. Maas, I think you will too!

Alongside Edmund being palmed off for marriage, someone then attempts to assassinate the woman that he is destined to marry, putting Edmund in a bit of a sticky situation.

I received a copy of this through NetGalley and am finally catching up with my out of date reviews (sorry, Antonia and NineStar Press!). Expect a full review when I’m done!

Life outside the domes is not possible. At least that’s what Insiders are told.

I stumbled across this book by pure accident. I requested City of Dust on Net Galley (see below!) without realising that it was the second part of a trilogy! I’m a quarter of the way through this and it is SO GOOD!

The domes are built to house survivors after a nuclear war. But not everyone thinks the domes are a good thing. Those who leave the domes have set up their lives in a sort of tree city in a valley that’s only accessible through what is essentially a water slide (except it’s claustrophobic and my worst nightmare). After some of the outsiders are taken back to the dome after a forest raid, the main character, Talia, is on a mission to rescue them.

The book is full of colourful, descriptive writing that just pulls you in to this whole other world. Bonus points that it’s set in Exeter – my parents aren’t too far from there and it’s one of my favourite cities in the UK!

I’m excited to see what the resolution to this book is and where the next book picks up. Speaking of the next book…

In the wake of her mother’s death, Shalini, a privileged and restless young woman from Bangalore, sets out for a remote Himalayan village in the troubled northern region of Kashmir. Certain that the loss of her mother is somehow connected to the decade-old disappearance of Bashir Ahmed, a charming Kashmiri salesman who frequented her childhood home, she is determined to confront him.

This is a little different from the books I usually read. The book follows Shalini as she tries to find closure over the death of her mother.

Exploring Indian politics, class prejudice and sexuality against a back drop of grief and guilt, this book should be an interesting read.

I’m a bit nervous that it’s a little outside of my comfort zone – although it would be great to find another genre to fall in love with!

When Cass’s family heads off to Edinburgh, Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift” of entering the world of the spirits. Cass still has a lot to learn about the Veil – and herself. And fast…

Confession time: I haven’t read anything by this absolute Queen, so you bet I asked for mostly all of her books for Christmas. My boyfriend (and favourite person in the world, if you’re reading this) delivered and excuse while I go and devour it.

Yes, I know this is meant for middle grade children, but a ghost book set in Edinburgh? Come on, now! You know that that is a recipe for perfection (and, in theory, shouldn’t be as terrifying as I find all other ghost stories).

The hollow was the perfect place to hide. Or so Free’s dad said when they fled California, her five-year-old brother illegally in tow, to hide out in the West Virginia mountains and make some fast cash.

Free’s family seem like they can’t catch a break. Decisions are made in the moment causing her family to fall apart. There’s something about family stories that instantly grabs me and I’m hoping that this book takes me on a journey.

Plus, if the writing is as beautiful as the premise, I think we’ll be on to a winner.

Reviews say that this is an emotional one, so I’ll have the tissues ready.

TWO BODIES. One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik? TWO COINS. Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man’s eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition. TWO WEEKS

I’ve already banged on about this book in a previous post so I won’t go on for too long!

I’m hoping to round out the month with a good, gritty murder mystery! Intiguingly, the main character is deaf so it’ll be really interesting to see how that’s written.

This book isn’t out until next week, but if you want to read the first instalment of the series, you can check out Dark Pines before Red Snow is released!

There you have it! My January TBR. I’m being quite ambitious but, at the time of writing, I’ve already finish One Of Us is Lying – hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in a few more books before I go back to work on the 7th!

What are you reading this month? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe if you want to hear my thoughts on these books!

2018 was tough. Work was manic and, in my infinite wisdom, I thought that starting up this bad boy would be a great idea in amongst the chaos of life. That went well…

Don’t you worry though, I’ve not been resting on my laurels. I’ve been reading behind the scenes and you better believe I’ve got a ton of content ready to come your way! One of my goals for 2019 is to always have at least one post scheduled – right now, that thought is quite terrifying!

Anyway, as it’s the first day of the year, here’s a snapshot into the books I’m most excited for this year! These books mostly come out in the first half of the year, so I think I’ll have to do quite a few of these posts throughout 2019!

A quick heads up for you, there are affiliate links within this post that, should you purchase anything through them, I will earn commission. This is at no extra charge to you.

A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens. The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

Yes, I too am on the hype train for this book! I was lucky to receive a copy of the first few chapters (thank you, Bloomsbury!) and, let me tell you, I was gutted when I couldn’t read on. I had forgotten how good fantasy was – I can’t get enough of them now!

I’ve got a beautiful edition on the way from Goldsboro Books but, seeing as I’ve booked the day of work to read it, I’ve also preordered the Kindle version so I don’t have to wait!

Nice and simple – the bright red colour of the cover of The Last is perfect!

BREAKING: Nuclear weapons detonates over Washington

Historian Jon Keller is on a trip to Switzerland when the world ends. As the lights go out on civilisation, he wishes he had a way of knowing whether his wife, Nadia, and their two daughters are still alive. More than anything, Jon wishes he hadn’t ignored Nadia’s last message.

Twenty people remain in Jon’s hotel. Far from the nearest city and walled in by towering trees, they wait, they survive. Then one day, the body of a young girl is found. It’s clear she has been murdered. Which means that someone in the hotel is a killer.

As paranoia descends, Jon decides to investigate. But how far is he willing to go in pursuit of justice? And what kind of justice can he hope for, when society as he knows it no longer exists?

Described as Stephen King meets Agatha Christie, I didn’t even need to read the blurb to know that I should be excited for this book! Whilst a murder mystery is good enough for me, I’m hoping to see a bit of influence from the dystopian genre to ramp up the tension!

Elouise (Lou) Parker is determined to have the absolute best, most impossibly epic summer of her life. There are just a few things standing in her way:

* She’s landed a job at Magic Castle Playland . . . as a giant dancing hot dog.* Her crush, the dreamy Diving Pirate Nick, already has a girlfriend, who is literally the Princess of the park. But Lou’s never liked anyone, guy or otherwise, this much before, and now she wants a chance at her own happily ever after.* Her best friend, Seeley, the carousel operator, who’s always been up for anything, suddenly isn’t when it comes to Lou’s quest to set her up with the perfect girl or Lou’s scheme to get close to Nick.* And it turns out that this will be their last summer at Magic Castle Playland–ever–unless she can find a way to stop it from closing.

Everyone in the world should be wanting to read this book. I’m wanting teenage angst, those awkward interactions you can only have as a teenager and some good old PG romance to warm my cold, adult heart. And, how cute is the cover?! If April could hurry up, that’d be great.

Also, so not sorry for entering every single Twitter competition to win an ARC of this.

As a bard’s apprentice, Kihrin grew up with tales of legendary deeds. He also steals, desperate to buy a way out of Quur’s slums. Then he raids the wrong house, he’s marked by a demon and life will never be the same again.

Kihrin’s plight brings him to the attention of royalty, who claim him as the lost son of their immoral prince. But far from living the dream, Kihrin’s at the mercy of his new family’s ruthless ambitions. However, escaping his jewelled cage just makes matters worse. Kihrin is horrified to learn he’s at the centre of an ancient prophecy. And every side – from gods and demons to dragons and mages – want him as their pawn. Those old stories lied about many things too, especially the myth that the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe Kihrin isn’t the hero, for he’s not destined to save the empire. He’s destined to destroy it.

This book sounds fascinating! Yes, it’s another fantasy but the main character is not a hero, he’s an anti-hero who has to destroy everything. How will this book end? I have no idea. Part of me hopes everything gets destroyed but imagine if he doesn’t and then we get all the internal conflict on paper… Dreamy whatever the outcome.

In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.

With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.

But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance…

I think The Poppy War was my favourite book of 2018. It whisked me off into a whole other world – I devoured it over two days (whilst also being in work 8am-4pm!). So, it’s no surprise that The Dragon Republic is on this list! Rin is the perfect main character, balanced perfectly by the friends around her. I’m most looking forward to more details of the various places Rin visits – the descriptive writing in this series is just phenomenal!

Will I get nightmares? The Taking of Annie Thorne sounds absolutely terrifying. Give. It. To. Me.

Then . . .

One night, Annie went missing. Disappeared from her own bed. There were searches, appeals. Everyone thought the worst. And then, miraculously, after forty-eight hours, she came back. Though she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, say what had happened to her.

But something happened to my sister. I can’t explain what. I just know that when she came back, she wasn’t the same. She wasn’t my Annie.

I didn’t want to admit, even to myself, that sometimes I was scared to death of my own little sister.

Now . . .

The email arrived in my inbox nearly two months ago.I almost deleted it straight away – but I clicked Open:

I know what happened to your sister. It’s happening again . . .

How creepy does this book sound? I’ve never been one for horror books, but recently I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zone! Reviews also say it opens with a murder so the part of me that loves murder mystery books should be satisfied!

Stephen King himself has endorsed this book so I’ll just mark this as a 5 star review now?

Alison has it all. A doting husband, adorable daughter, and a career on the rise – she’s just been given her first murder case to defend. But all is never as it seems…

Just one more night. Then I’ll end it.

Alison drinks too much. She’s neglecting her family. And she’s having an affair with a colleague whose taste for pushing boundaries may be more than she can handle.

I did it. I killed him. I should be locked up.

Alison’s client doesn’t deny that she stabbed her husband – she wants to plead guilty. And yet something about her story is deeply amiss. Saving this woman may be the first step to Alison saving herself.

I’m watching you. I know what you’re doing.

But someone knows Alison’s secrets. Someone who wants to make her pay for what she’s done, and who won’t stop until she’s lost everything….

One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik?

TWO COINS

Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man’s eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition.

TWO WEEKS

Tuva Moodyson, deaf reporter at the local paper, has a fortnight to investigate the deaths before she starts her new job in the south. A blizzard moves in. Residents, already terrified, feel increasingly cut-off. Tuva must go deep inside the Grimberg factory to stop the killer before she leaves town for good. But who’s to say the Ferryman will let her go?

This is the sequel to Dark Pines which is nearing the top of my reading list! I love Scandi murder books – there’s just something about the atmosphere that authors create that makes them even more horrific than ones set in London. Maybe living near London is the problem?

I’m intrigued to see how Dean writes the main character. I don’t think I’ve read a book where the main character is deaf so that should be really interesting!

And there you have it – my most anticipated reads of 2019! As I’m typing this, more and more books are coming to my mind so there will definitely be a part two (and three, and four, and maybe even 5!). I’m grateful that a majority of these books I am receiving as part of my Christmas presents!

Blurb:“An eerie dystopian novel envisions a society in the not-so-distant future where men and women deemed economically worthless are sent to a retirement community called the Unit. With lavish apartments set amongst beautiful gardens and state-of-the-art facilities, elaborate gourmet meals, and wonderful music and art, they are free of financial worries and want for nothing.

It’s an idyllic place, but there’s a catch: the residents – known as dispensables – must donate their organs, one by one, until the final donation. When Dorrit Weger arrives at the Unit, she resigns herself to this fate, seeking only peace in her final days. But she soon falls in love, and this unexpected, improbable happiness throws the future into doubt.”

Blurb:Everyone loves Eva. Beautiful, bright, fun, generous – she’s perfect. So when her body is found in a ditch in the local woods the only thing anyone wants to know is: who could have done this?

It has to be Luke, her boyfriend. He has the motive, the means, the opportunity and he’s no stranger to the police. Even though the picture is incomplete, the pieces fit. But as time passes, stories change.

Blurb: Feminism is a political, social and philosophical movement that has transformed and revolutionized women’s lives.

From fearless women campaigning for the right to vote, to pioneers in fields of medicine, politics and business by the way of pop-culture heroines, writers and creatives, The Periodic Table of Feminism explores over 100 inspiring and engaging international figures who have helped to shape it.

And there you have it! I’ve only got a small TBR again this month, but I also have about 20 books on NetGalley to work through too! What are you reading this month?

“I don’t think I really believed it would happen. I don’t think any of us did.”

Title: Vox

Author: Christina Dalcher

Page count: 326 (hardcover edition)

Imagine a world where women have a 100-word allowance each day. Go over that number, and you’ll wish you hadn’t.

That’s the reality for Dr, no, Mrs Jean McClellan, and all girls & women over 3 months old. No title, other than the one of ownership; no voting; no work but housework; no words, no signing, no gestures; no privacy. Not even any mail. The band around their wrist, calibrated to their voice, counts upwards throughout the day, enforcing quietness and submission to male dominance. And then, as if by total irony, the research Jean had been working on (until she couldn’t) was needed, beginning the fight for the right to have a voice.

Dalcher has created a masterful piece of literature, which uniquely combines the politics and turbulence of external factors, with family dynamics, not all of them good. Jean has to raise four kids, three boys and a girl, whilst adjusting to life within this new, intolerant country. Her husband, Patrick, works in the White House and is so wonderfully complex as a character, I could write a whole post on the mastery of it. It would, however, give away some major spoilers so I will save that for a time when people know how this book ends.

Add into this, Dalcher’s fantastic use of intersectional politics and identities, and there’s an element of this novel that makes you terrified for the future. The hints of Bible Belt religionism, nuclear family discourse, and corrupt politics make this book incredibly exciting and fast-paced. My one criticism – stylistically, it might have been a bit more impactful for each chapter to be 100 words or less.

That doesn’t really limit my love for this book, though.

Have you read Vox? What did you think? If you haven’t got a copy yet, you can pick one up here (not an affiliated link – I just love people buying books!)

No book is gripping me, interesting me or getting me on board with its narrative. It’s so frustrating to have something that was once my escape from reality becoming a draining factor in my reality.

So, I’m setting myself some reading targets each month to help me focus on getting through the backlog of books I have acquired (and to give me space to buy more!). This month, I’ve only set myself three books to read, as I usually only have an hour or so a day to sit down with a nice paperback) but hopefully I’ll have the chance to get a couple more squeezed in!

I’m low-key obsessed with crime documentaries so when a colleague at work was reading a book written by someone who was in the inner circles of the Kray twins, I basically gave him no choice but to let me borrow it! The author, Tony Lambrianou, was sentenced to 15 years for murder and all kinds of crime after having been a member of the Kray Twins gang throughout the most of their career. I’m hoping to have this read ASAP so I don’t hold on to someone else’s book for too long!

What have we done? Why did it happen? How do we take back control? These are the questions being asked in this book.

If you don’t watch Peston on Sunday, you’re missing out. Robert Peston is one of the best journalists out there, and he actually talks common sense. If like me, you’re still reeling from Brexit and the rise of the alt-right, this book is for you. I’ve read his introduction and the book takes you all the way back to the banking crash in 2008 to assess what happened that has caused Brexit, Trump and the ever-widening gap between those at the top, and those at the bottom.

I love Scandi/Northern crime writers. There’s something about the bleak landscape descriptors that make them the best kind of suspense writing. I picked this up at a little independent bookstore in Totnes and am very much looking forward to starting it. A young woman is found washed up on the shoreline. It’s ruled a suicide, but DI Hulda Hermannsdottir soon finds that another woman went missing at the same time… I just hope it isn’t an obvious ending.

What are you reading at the moment? Are there any books being published soon that you’re looking forward to?

About Me

Hi there!

I'm Natalie!
I'm a bookish, London-based blogger who is desperately failing at juggling full-time work, a blog and the mountainous TBR pile by my bed. Oh, and I'm buying a house - so, there's that too!